Biographical Preface

Sampson Reed, the author of this essay, was born in West Bridgewater, Mass., June 10, 1800, and died in Boston, July 8, 1880. He was the youngest son of the Rev. John Reed, D. D., who served as pastor of the First Church in West Bridge-water for more than fifty years. Fitted for college by his father, he entered the Freshman class at Harvard in 1814, and graduated with high honors four years later. The next three years were spent in the Divinity School at Cambridge; but during this time his religious opinions underwent a complete change, unless, indeed, it would more properly be said that they were then first definitely formed. He became a thorough believer in the doctrinal system propounded by Emanuel Swedenborg. Consequently, when his course of theological study was completed, he found himself debarred from all opportunities for preaching; and, being under the necessity of earning his own livelihood, he turned his attention (doubtless with great reluctance) to secular business.

His mercantile career began in the apothecary store of William B. White, Washington near Franklin Street, Boston. There he acquired his first knowledge of an occupation in which he remained during the greater part of his active life, though the retail business with which he commenced was gradually converted into a wholesale one. As a merchant he met with a good degree of success. The house which he was instrumental in founding became one of the leading establishments in the trade, and under the names of different partners has had a continuous existence to the present time.

Mr. Reed was interested in public affairs, and was called upon to fill several state and municipal offices. But his attention, outside of his business, was chiefly given to the church of which he was a member. His early interest in Swedenborg's writings never flagged, and his zeal on their behalf was manifested throughout his lifetime by an untiring devotion to the Boston society of the New Church, whose pastor, for nearly half a century, was his college classmate and chum, the Rev. Thomas Worcester.

With his life thus busily occupied in so many ways, it was not strange that he found but little leisure for literary pursuits. He was a frequent contributor to a monthly periodical, — the "New Jerusalem Magazine," — and for a considerable time its editor. He also edited the "New Church Magazine for Children," during a long series of years. Shortly before his death he published a biography of his old friend and pastor, Dr. Worcester. But with this and one other slight exception the "Growth of the Mind" was the only complete book which he gave to the public. His magazine articles, however, were prepared with much thought and care, and many of them are regarded by his friends as of great value.

The "Growth of the Mind" was first published in 1826, when its author was but twenty-six years of age. It was written at odd moments during the intervals of business as an apothecary. He first offered it to the "North American Review"; but the editor, Jared Sparks, declined it on the ground of its not being in any sense a book notice, and advised its publication as a separate volume. From the first it attracted attention from thoughtful people, and has already passed through seven editions in this country, and at least two in England,

Not to speak of the testimonials from private sources, — which would be almost too numerous to mention, — as to the impression made by this little book, it may not seem amiss to refer to the high estimation in which it was held by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Although there was a wide and acknowledged divergence in the theological opinions respectively held by Mr. Emerson and Mr. Reed, the former omitted no occasion for bringing the " Growth of the Mind" to the notice of his friends. In the year 1834 we find him writing to Rev. James Freeman Clarke: "Have you read Sampson Reed's 'Growth of the Mind'? I rejoice to be contemporary with that man, and cannot wholly despair of the society in which he lives." ¹ He lost no time in sending the book to Carlyle as soon as practicable after visiting him and making his acquaintance in the summer of 1833. The very first letters in the published correspondence between the two mention this gift. Emerson describes it as "the little book of my Swedenborgian druggist, of whom I told you;" and Carlyle replies, "He is a faithful thinker, that Swedenborgian druggist of yours, with really deep ideas, who makes me, too, pause and think, were it only to consider what manner of man he must be, and what manner of thing, after all, Swedenborgianism must be." ³ In his answer Emerson writes,

"As you like Sampson Reed, here are one or two more of his papers. Do read them."

No further allusion to the matter seems to be made in this correspondence; but not long afterwards, in a letter presumably written to Dr. J. J. G. Wilkinson, of London, Carlyle expresses himself as follows: —

"Hitherto I have known nearly nothing of Swedenborg; or indeed, I might say less than nothing, having been wont to picture him as an amiable but inane visionary, with affections quite out of proportion to his insight; from whom nothing at all was to be learned. It is so we judge of extraordinary men. But I have been rebuked already. A little book, by one Sampson Reed, of Boston, in New England, which some friend sent hither, taught me that a Swedenborgian might have thoughts of the calmest kind on the deepest things; that, in short, I did not know Swedenborg, and ought to be ready to know him."³

Perhaps the most interesting evidence of the place accorded by Emerson to this little book has been recently afforded by an article in the "Gentleman's Magazine," ⁴ written shortly after his death. The occasion for the article — which is from the pen of Alexander H. Japp—was the discovery of an old copy of the "Growth of the Mind," which years ago was presented by Emerson to his friend, Dr. Samuel Brown, of Edinburgh. Underneath the title, in Dr. Brown's handwriting, are these words: "The pencil marks of admirable passages are Emerson's, not mine. S. B." From this starting point the writer proceeds to a somewhat lengthy comparison between the thoughts expressed in the treatise under consideration and those to be found in Emerson's own subsequently published works, prefacing his remarks by the observation, "We are fain to think that this little unambitious book, by one whose name is now hardly remembered, had some share in the building up of the genius of Emerson," and concluding as follows: —

" In bringing forward as we have done the name of Sampson Reed in connection with that of Emerson, it will be seen that our only purpose has been to illustrate how in some specific lines his way was prepared for him. We can see where at certain points the two minds met. Emerson efficiently developed and applied what Reed had only suggested; but Emerson would have been the last man to deny that Reed was one of those who sowed seeds, some of which rose to stately flowers in his own garden, and thus attested their inherent value and vitality."

Mr. Reed was not insensible to the interest excited by his modest volume, but instinctively and characteristically shrank from every expression of satisfaction respecting it which might be deemed laudatory of himself. Feeling that the principal value of the thoughts contained in it was derived from the writings of Swedenborg, which were to him the definite and authoritative statement of a complete system of spiritual truth, — the sufficient foundation of a new and higher Christianity, descending, as the new Jerusalem, from God out of heaven, — he could conscientiously do no otherwise than disclaim whatever personal credit might be accorded to him. Hence we find him writing in the preface (herewith published) to the third edition of the work, —

"So far as an author duly feels in whose presence he stands, it can be no source of gratification to him to attract personal admiration or praise. He must regard himself as only a medium of truth from the one only Source of truth, and the forms in which he has been permitted to present it as useful only so far as they are suitable vessels to contain and to communicate it. Truth itself — simple — unadorned — divine— is at the present day revealed, yet noticed and loved by few."

In the spirit of this wise counsel the present writer desires to send forth the little book afresh, trusting that its mission is not yet ended, but that it may long continue to give help to those who love truth for its own sake, and seek to be led by it to the Divine Fountain of light and life.

Boston, September, 1885.

1.  Dr. O. W. Holmes' Life of Emerson, p. 80.
2. Correspondence of Carlyle and Emerson, vol. i., p. 19.
3. New Jerusalem Magazine, vol. xiii., p. 476.
4. The Gentleman's Magazine, New Series, vol. xxix., p. 6X8.

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